Petition to Revise the 2010-2011 Simsbury School Calendar
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We, the undersigned, respectfully request that the Simsbury Board of Education change the 2010-2011 school year calendar.
Many Simsbury families have two working parents, which poses challenges as they seek to provide child care. Typically, many children finish school and go directly into summer programming, such as day camp. The announced 2010-2011 calendar would create an extended gap between the end of school and the start of summer programming in June 2011. As the school year ends and the summer begins, many parents will be forced to choose between working and providing appropriate child supervision.
For some families, this difficult decision will leave young children with inadequate adult supervision and older children left to devise their own amusements, perhaps leading to poor decisions and unfortunate consequences.
"Children are safest in school.” This was the statement of United States Department of Health and Human Services in explaining why it was her recommendation that schools remain open during the H1N1 epidemic. Secretary Sebelius wasn’t referring to a school calendar, but the principle still applies. When not with their parents, children are safest when they are in formally supervised programming.
The 2010-2011 calendar begins too early and ends too early. As written, it will create a hardship for many families and has the potential to put children in harm's way.
We understand that, after 2010-2011, it will be the policy of the Board of Education to end school on the second Friday in June. We believe that this should apply to the coming year as well. If this policy were applied, the 2010-2011 calendar would begin on Monday, August 30 and would end on Friday, June 10.
No decision is irrevocable, and none is so sound as to eliminate the possibility of further contemplation. We urge you to reopen the question of the 2010-2011 calendar, and to revise it to better reflect policy and to align with the schedules planned for other years and to be responsive to the needs of Simsbury families.
Thank you for your consideration.
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